This week’s pay-as-you-go mission: Monday night step class at the gym. Since my friends had neglected their promises to accompany me at the last three pay-as-you-go classes I had attended, I didn’t even bother to ask them this time. Besides, as far as I am concerned, I am turning into quite the pay-as-you-go fitness princess and no longer need a familiar face by my side while trying out something new. And to be honest, the idea of a step class wasn’t that intimidating- over the course of my life I have participated in similar classes or videos (circa Jane Fonda in the 1980s, anyone?) and felt confident that tonight’s class wouldn’t be as traumatic as some of my other experiences.
The step class took place in the gym’s Aerobics room, meaning that once again, people passing by the big glass windows had full visibility of everyone participating in the class. Lucky for me, I arrived early enough to secure myself a spot against the left side of the room by the wall where I could remain unseen by most passer-bys.
As expected, the equipment required for this class was the elevated platform routinely used in a step class, and risers were available as an option depending on how challenging you want the class to be. Seeing as I will be donning a bikini in two shorts week on my vacation in Mexico, I decided to take the risers for the extra challenge. As soon as everyone had their platforms and risers set up, the instructor, an incredibly enthusiastic, middle-aged blond woman, began to lead a warm-up. The warm-up, accompanied by a song straight out of the 90s, consisted of some basic aerobic steps and a variety of stretches.
From prior experiences, I have learned that aerobic classes can be one of two things; they can either be more like a dance class with short dance-like sequences or a class more geared towards high energy punches and kicks. This step class was definitely closer to the former. As I mentioned in my Zumba post, I’m not that great of a dancer and I found myself spending more time trying to nail down a lot of the steps in this class than actually getting a workout. My frustrations were high but my heart rate- not so much. Notwithstanding my experience, everyone else in the class (all girls) seemed to be really enjoying themselves. The mood was light, the music upbeat and the instructor could not have been more outgoing or friendly. If I’m ever feeling sluggish on a Monday and not in the mood for a routine run on the treadmill, I will definitely consider returning to the gym’s Monday evening step class.
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